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| Subject: FAITH | |
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Author: Posted By The Crusader |
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Date Posted: 16:08:56 09/22/02 Sun FAITH "Faith", a word so often spoken, but so seldom understood. A word repeated by the politicians to gain votes, but so rarely used in its proper meaning for fear of being politically incorrect. A word haled by the religious in hopes of satisfying the "itchy ears", but so rarely preached according to scripture for fundamentalism doesn’t fill the pews and offering plates. For those who seek the true meaning of spiritual terms such as faith, fundamentalism however is essential. Thus, we turn to the Holy Word of God in confidence of being instructed for we know that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction for instruction in righteousness." (II Timothy 3:16) "Faith", without it there is no pleasing God. (Hebrews 11:6) God in His divine patience and wisdom has long made known His desire for faithful saints. Since the dawn of time we humans have been quite persistent in eluding God’s instructions for being faithful. From Cain’s futile effort of providing a sacrifice by his own design to those among the Corinthians who taught against the resurrection of the dead. Thankfully, there are many men and women of the scriptures that are appropriate examples of true faithfulness. Such examples would include Noah who was obedient of God’s command to construct the ark. Abraham’s obedience of God’s command to sacrifice his son Isaac serves well as a pattern of faith. (Hebrews 11) These are called faithful because of their belief of what God told them. The Apostle Paul was faithful in his ministry for he wrote by inspiration of God "we having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;". (II Corinthians 4:13) True faith is a belief so strong and confident that a response will be produced in accordance to the will of God. True faith will be fully persuaded that God’s Word is truth. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17) In order to have faith we must first hear the Word of God. In other words, we can’t believe something unless we know what to believe and what we believe is God’s Word. God hasn’t left us to aimlessly believe in something that we do not know to be true by the scriptures. Faith cannot exist without the existence of God’s Word. We cannot have faith in anything else. Why? Romans 3:4 reads "let God be true, but every man a liar;" The only object that is worthy of our faith is God, because God is faithful in all He does. True faith is simply placing deep belief in the Word of God, relying totally upon what the scriptures say as being infallible. We cannot look to dreams, visions, feelings or circumstances to direct our faith. In Colossians 1:25 the Apostle Paul writes "Where of I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the Word of God. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints:" The complete revelation of the mystery program to the Apostle Paul fulfilled God’s Word. God will not speak to you today in any way other than through the scriptures. In times past, before this current dispensation God did reveal Himself to men through visions, dreams and audible voices because He hadn’t completed His written Word. However, God tells us that His Word is now fulfilled. We have the COMPLETE Word of God! In Romans four the Apostle Paul writes regarding the faith of Abraham. Verse 18 reads, "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be." Genesis records the promise that God made to Abraham, which was that God would give Abraham and Sara a child. At that time Abraham and Sara had no children and where beyond the age at which they could produce children. Romans four recounts the faithfulness of Abraham and Sara to believe that God would fulfill His promise of a seed to the elderly couple. Romans 4:19 reads, "And being not weak in faith, he (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, he was able also to perform." God spoke a promise to Abraham and he believed it. That’s true faith. Abraham "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith". He believed that God would fulfill His spoken promise. We too have God’s Word as Abraham did. Even though we do not hear the audible voice of God we do have access to the written Word of God. Rightly dividing the scriptures we too know a message that deserves our total faith. We have the message of grace in which God reveals His purpose for the body of Christ. The message in which we place our faith is that we are sinners and that Christ died on the Cross for our sins, was buried and resurrected on the third day. We have a message that says we can be saved by God’s grace apart from works (Ephesians 2:8,9). True faith will believe that message and rely totally upon the sacrifice that was made at the Cross for our sins. To place your faith upon any "works" for your salvation is a show of faith lacking. Romans 4:5 reads, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Many feel their evil deeds will prevent them from being saved. Perhaps one has a history of drugs, alcohol or adultery and feels their actions cannot be forgiven. Some even feel that smoking a cigarette will lock the doors of heaven to them. Thankfully, God’s forgiveness is blind to human works. Thankfully, His righteousness can be received by anyone that chooses to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:3 and 4 read, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" Romans 3:22 and 23 read, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" This is the message of grace, which we can believe. We can have full assurance that the gospel is true. Do you believe the message? Your faith will be shown by your desire to rely totally on God’s saving grace. Works will not show your faith, no matter how good. Are good works important? Most certainly, but don’t confuse the matter. Good works has nothing to do with salvation. Your good works will be a product of understanding and appreciating all that God has done for you by His grace. If you’ve been told that you have to show your faith by submitting yourself to a ritual ceremony whatever the ceremony may, you’ve been told an error. If you’ve been told you’ll lose your salvation if you do something bad, you’ve been told an error. Why would God give you a gift that has nothing to do with your good works and then take it away because of your bad works? He wouldn’t. He offers us salvation as a free gift. Just believe it and rely on nothing else. That’s faith! Rely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. As the song says… JESUS PAID IT ALL; ALL TO HIM I OWE. SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN; HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW. What a wonderful message of God’s grace! What a God we serve! Author: Jonathan Goley From Web-Site: Saved By Grace Ministry http://www.sbgministry.com/ [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
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